Overhead railway



Aug. ll, 192:5. 1,549,625 y H. H. swlFT.

OVERHEAD RAILWAY Filed Aug. 21. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mfr .1.

WITNESSES.

A TTOHNEYS Patented Aug. 11, i925.,

HENRY H. SWIFT, OF MILLBROOK, NEW YORK.

OVERHEAD RAILWAY.

Application filed August 21, 1924. Serial No; 733,409.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.' l

Be 1t known that I, HENRY H. SWIFT, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Millbrook, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Overhead Railway, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved overhead railway and has for an objectvto provide an improved construction which is comparatively inexpensive and which may be readily placed in position without undesirable expense, the same acting to provide transportation facilities without using an appreciable amount of the street.

Another object of the invention is to provide anv improved arrangement of swinging or suspended cars with associated parts for completing the railroad system.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an overhead railway wherein not only are there provided cars for transporta- Ition purposes but an elevated platform acting as an elevating sidewalk.

\ In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through an overhead railway embodying the invention..r

Figure 2 is a sectional view through Figure 1, approximately on line 2 2.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of about onehalf of the structure shown in Figure 1 illustrating how the elevated sidewalks are associated with the landing platforms and other parts.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary sectional view showing the third rail connections.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates the street which is of the usual construction and which at the sides is provided with sidewalks 2 and 3. Adjacent the sidewalks are buildings 4 and 5 of any desired structure. The intention is to provide a construction which will extend from one building to the other across the street or almost this distance, according to various conditions.

In constructing the overhead railway, suitable supports 6 and 7 are provided on opposite sides of the street and at certain points supports 8 are provided centrally for supportingthe central platforms 9. The various supports or posts are connected by brackets or otherwiSc at the upper ends with strong I-beams 10 which extend entirely across the street and which act to support the various I-beams 11, 12, 13 and 14. Side -beams 15 and 16 connect the posts 6 and 7 longitudinally of the street while the I- beams 11 to 14 are connected by rivets or otherwise to I-beam 10 and act to support tracks-17,18, 19 and 20, said tracks in turn supporting suitable cars, as for instance, cars 21 and 22. It will be noted that the tracks 17 and 18 depend from their various -beams, said tracks being made in pairs so as to accommodate the grooved divided rim wheels 23 and 24 on the respective cars. It will be noted that there may be any desired number of wheels 23 and 24, said wheels being preferably rather deeply grooved and also preferably provided with grooved rubber tires in order that the movement of the cars or coaches 21 and 22 may be substantially noiseless. As each of the cars 21 and 22 are ident-ical, the description of one will apply to both.

As indicated in Figure 1, the car 21 is suspended by a suitable pivotal rod or pin 25 at a point centrally of the top whereby it may swing. The pivotal support is carried by a frame 26 and in order that the car may not swingunduly, springs 27 and 28 are provided between the frame 26 and the car 21. 'Ihe frame 26 may be of any desired structure and carries any desired number of wheels 23 and 24, as for instance, four. Associated with these wheels are electric motors 29 and 30 of any desired construction, said motors being connected by gearing or otherwise to the wheels 23 and 24 for propelling the same. l

In order that current may be properly supplied to the motors, the track 17 is provided with oppositely extending third rails 31 and 32 (Figure 4), said third rails co-acting with the respective shoes 33, which shoes are connected by a suitable conductor to one side of the respective motors 29 and 30. These motors are connected by a suitable wire 34 whereby a complete circuit will be provided. By this arrangement, the motors are in series but it will be evident that cur-- rent could be readily taken off all the third rails 31 and 32 and the connection changed to a shunt connection.

As shown in Figure 1, the outside tracks 17 and 20 are intended to be used as local tracks while the inside tracks 18 and 19 are intended for express trains. In carrying out sengers may pass upwardly from the elev'ated sidewalk' over the stair`- steps 40 to platform' 35 or may' pass over the connecting bridgey il to" t'lie stair steps: 42 and from thence onto the platform 9: The stair steps have been shown as extending upwardly from the sidewallbut'it will be evident' that these maybe arranged inside' of: the buildings a'l'on'g" the street orf at'V some other point as"pcferred.Y Preferably, the elevated sidevalksa and 39 are made from glasswhich stransparentior at leastitransluoont, where'- by voi-y little-light willI be shut' out: Also, by'arrangng the`J tracks, as shown in Figure 1, a: super structure isV provided which is comparatively sin'all and, consequently, will also shut out very little light. Tl'i'eelevate'd sidewalks 39` and 39"1naybe usediand extend foi-the rulli lengthE of the railway system or may bef-eliininateda lVhen used, they pro= vide' a safe passagewayfor pedestrians and also permit theestablish'inent of. stores along thefsecond stories ofthe"variousbuildings as well as the ground floor.'- In wholesale districts, aswell as elsewhere, the sidewalks 2 and 8 i'ni'ght be' eliminated and the entire street" given' up! tol vehicular traffic. This constfiiu'ctioir presentsI means forthel safe' use off th'ei strelegts;A both'. by vehicular traffic and by' pedestrians. It" will aflso'i be noted that the crossing of the street; may.V be done in safety by passing over the Various bridges provided which are preferably constructed as show-nin the accompanying drawings but if desired, additional crossing bridges might be used' without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I. claim is:

l. In an overhead railway, a plurality of suspended cars,- each" of'said cars-including a' car body for receivingpassengerswa supporting frame', wheels carried by saidlsup'- por-'ting frame carrying said car' body, a pivotal pini fo'r pivotally connecting saidf car` b'o'd'yto said? frame, said pin' extending lbngitudinally of the car bodyv whereby t-h'e cai body may swing late-rally, resilient means interposed between? the carl body and the frame' for-limiting said swin'gtngfmovement, and means for rotating? said wheels whereby said car" is propelled.

2. Infan overhead' railway, al plurality of suspended caris, each off sal-idf cars including: a car body for' receiving passengers, a supporting frame, wheels carried said'v frame for supporting" the frame andi car'body, a pivotal pin extending'.` longitudinally of the carbodyf acting to" pivotally' connect' the car body and' frame@ together whereby' theA car body may swing laterally, f springs" arranged onl the" opposite edges ofl the top of the' car body' andi acting.' againstl the car' body and against said frame for limiting the swinging movement of thel embody, and.l means for rotating the wheels.I whereby sa'id car' is propelled;

HENRY H. SWIFT,.- 

